Someone else's 'design wall' today

I'm traveling on the east coast for a couple of weeks so have nothing to show on my design wall--however, that does not mean I'm not steeping myself in sewing and quilting along the way! Today I'll be visiting the Folger Museum on Nantucket Island, MA to see the Susan Boardman exhibit of the most exquisite hand work imaginable! When I first saw these works in a magazine, I thought I was looking at applique on quilts that were quite large. Oh, no! These are completely hand worked with fine gold and other threads, tiny beads and accouterments on very small incredible works. This is a photo of the front of her book documenting the lives of 'notable Nantucket women" many of them whaling ship captain's wives, left for years at a time while their husbands were off at sea. This 'quilt' is less than 14" x 16" and every stitch is hand wrought with single strand silk thread and a beading needle! I'm so lucky to be able to see these works of cloth arts in person.

My Design Wall's a Secret. . .

This quilt is not technically on my design wall but what I've had on my design wall for a couple of weeks now is my Calendar Girls group block exchange blocks. Since I think there are a couple of women in the group who read Judy's wonderful blog, much as I'd love to show it off (as I'm VERY happy with how it's turing out!) I can't post photos of it as it will spoil the surprise of our annual 'reveal' in December.

This is a small quilt I finished just before the 4th of July. It started with a Schnibbles pattern but then I added the 2 border edges, the "fireworks" complete with fused on crystals and hand-appliqued circles, and the flag. I love the way it turned out!

For the next couple of weeks, I'll be on vacation on the east coast so I won't have any input but I'm bringing my computer with me so I won't miss Judy's or anyone else's posts. I find I LIVE for Design Wall Monday and all the inspiration it brings! Thank you, Judy Laquidara for your wonderful "Patchwork Times" blog!!

Ready to Quilt

A couple of weeks ago, I told you about my friend Lee who passed away a couple of days after asking me to finish 2 quilts she'd started, one for her niece Caitlin, which was my last post, and one for her daughter, Elizabeth. Lee had finished the center part of this sampler and had included a dozen or so fabrics in a neat bundle, including enough for the back. I chose this peach-colored first border and a piano key outer border to enlarge it to the queen-sized quilt she'd planned for. Another of Lee's friends and I will be quilting it later in the week.

It's amazing how I felt Lee's presence while working on this quilt. I felt her smiling, as she always did, and encouraging me. I also thought of how Elizabeth will think of her mom every time she sleeps under it. The fact that it was so important to Lee to get these quilt finished will make Elizabeth and Caitlin realize just how special they were to her.

--On another note: for those of you who live in MA, ME or NH, if you have a favorite quilt shop you'd like to tell me about, I'm vacationing there in mid-September and will need my quilt shop fix! We're traveling from Cape Cod through Boston and up to Camden ME. Then over to Lincoln NH then down to Manchester. Thanks in advance--

Design Table Monday

In a couple of hours, I'm attending a "Celebration of Life" at our local arboretum for my dear friend, Lee who passed away last week after asking me to finish her 2 quilts for her daughter and niece. I haven't been in a particularly productive mood for a couple of days and have been moping around just being sad.

Lee's unfinished heart blocks which were on my wall last week are on my cutting table at the moment. I found out that this was to be a "mended hearts" quilt and had to change my idea about how Lee wanted the quilt to go together. (I wondered why she had a pile of 8 1/2" squares of batting cut along with a pile of red and black polka dot squares 8 1/2" squares).

Never having put together a quilt like this, I found a description of it online (what CAN'T you get online!) and am in the process of sewing different decorative stitches in bright colors across each sandwiched block--polka dot back, batting and heart top square.

Once that is done, you stack a light background block with a dark background block and slice them any which way, then zig-zag them together so one side is dark and one light. It's a "quilt-as-you-go" process so when you get done zig-zagging the rows together, all you do is bind it and you're done.

I'm sure after tonight's memorial, I'll have the spirit I need to get going a little faster on this wonderful quilt.

A Sad Story

A dear friend of mine has been battling her third bought with non-hodgkins lymphoma in 8 years. She'd tried an experimental treatment at Stanford 2 years ago and it destroyed her lungs. Her long list of friends have been watching her suffer ever since. Last week her lungs colapsed and she refused further treatment.

Three days ago, with a great deal of effort, she asked if I would do her "an enormous favor". She asked if I would finish 2 quilts she'd started, one for her daughter and one for her niece. I've been madly appliquing these hearts, hoping to get the top done for her to see it. Lee passed away last night and we're all devastated. Lee was a happy, kind, wonderful human being, only 61 years old.

I'm honored that she asked me to finish her quilts and I'll be working on them with love in my heart for her, her lovely daughter and loyal husband.

A productive week

I finished the little lighthouse quilt from the class I took a couple of weeks ago with Marcia Stein (www.marciastein.com). I'll definitely do another one of these satisfying quilts but first I'll have to go out and take some interesting photos. The 'shingles' in the lighthouse and the 'catwalk' at the top of the lighthouse are made with threadplay. The top window is shaded with black tulle. If you go back a couple of weeks, you'll see how it looked before the quilting.

And here's the finished top from the Kaleidoscope quilt I posted a last week. I used the leftover 'strata' for the inner border and the outer border is Ricky Tims' hand dyed fabric.

Boy was I busy this week! I took 3 days with my quilting buddies in Lake Tahoe and we sewed practically the whole time! I wanted to try the Ricky Tims' Kaleidoscope idea using some of the hand dyed fabric I'd purchased and although it was a very long, tricky process, I'm pretty happy with the result. Here's the center of the top. . .

. . . and 3 of the 6 steps to getting there, in reverse order.

Now I have to figure out what borders I need to add.

Thank you, Judy (http://www.patchworktimes.com/) for the opportunity to share these Mondays with your other creative quilters! I swear, if it weren't for your blog, I wouldn't get nearly as much quilting done!